Supporting Success Evening Year 10

Programme for EveningWelcome Catherine Fisher, Head Teacher

Expectations and Key Events

Kat Morris & Angela Howe, Learning Managers

English Angela Lancini, Head of EnglishScience Raj Sangar, Head of Science

MathsRE

David Curson, Head of MathsTony Pagkalis, Head of RE

Parental Monitoring Tim Gartside, Vice Principal

Supporting Success Evening Year 10

Learning Managers Kat Morris and Angela Howe

How you can help us1. Keep us informed:• Form tutor • Subject teacher

2. During the College day keep contact between parents and school – not via your child

3. Check and sign Learner Handbook4. Keep up to date via the website and parent

area3. Update us: • Mobile number • Email• Address

Absence and Holidays• Target is 100%

• Appointments out of school time

• Catching up on work is vital

• Absences need to be recorded with our attendance officer (Tel: 0116 2771555 then press 1)

• Holidays

Controlled AssessmentStudents complete Controlled Assessments:• Under exam conditions• Supervised by the teacher• Preparation time is allowed • Some of this may be homework

You can help by checking your child is completing the preparation and is up to date. Talk to your child about school work.

Monitoring Your Child’s Progress You will get information for each subject:• Target grade• Current working at grade• Projected grade• Motivational score

Grade Description9 Excellent... is always cooperative, enthusiastic and hardworking. Always do their best at school8 Between excellent and good7 Good... is usually cooperative, enthusiastic and hardworking. Usually do their best in school without

undue pressure6 Between good and below expectations5 Below expectations... is usually cooperative, but generally does little more than required4 Between below expectations and poor3 Poor... needs constant pressure and attention to ensure they do some work2 Between poor and very poor1 Very poor... is uncooperative and indifferent for much of the time. Makes very little effort in their

school work

Monitoring Your Child’s Progress Assessment Marks

In addition to usual class tracking, teachers record three assessments per

year

Don’t forget - Parents’ Evenings:

14th January (late 6 – 8 pm) 21st January (early 4 – 6 pm)

Information about your child’s progress is available through www.mychildatschool.com

Annual/Summative report June 2015

End of Year exams 3rd May – 11th May 2016

End of Year Exam Results 9th June 2016

What we will do…• Regularly review how well your child is

performing:• Target versus projected grade • Current working at• Motivational scores

• Reward students for consistently high levels of motivation

• Reward students for achievement

• Take appropriate action if we find your child is not achieving to the best of their ability

Eligible for further support?If you feel your child may be entitled to free

school meals they may also be entitled to further support, please contact County Hall for further

information:

freeschoolmeals@leics.gov.uk

Or phone 0116 3056588

Further details are in the Parent Handbook or on the College website.

New Initiatives • Uniform for Year 10 will continue into Year 11.

• Site Security and punctuality … Students need their ID cards and lanyards at all times.

• Cashless payments – The ID card will allow students to book out resources from the library, use the photocopiers and pay for school meals … but the cards must be kept topped up.

• To top up cards for dinner money, pay for printer credits and pay for resources (and soon trips) via ParentPay.com

What is Show My Homework?This year, we are introducing an online homework calendar.

It will show homework information and deadlines.

It will be accessible to parents, teachers and students.

More detailed information will be available as part of the launching process during this term.

Benefits for Students

• See all homework at the click of a button• Access to

description and resources wherever they are• A personalised

experience to help stay organised• Automatic

notifications to remind them in advance

• Visibility on exactly what homework has been set, across subjects• Easily take part in

home learning• Direct engagement

with teachers• Translation into 50+

languages• Better

communication through school announcements

Benefits for Parents

VIVO MilesThis is the College Online Reward System

VIVOS are allocated for a variety of reasons

Students can access their VIVO account via the web or the VIVO app

Students can choose from a range of rewards or to donate to charity

Further Information• Booklets – students will receive these

during their next tutorial and will be available online for parents via the website

• The Learning Link - Fronter• Tutor • Key Stage 4 office• Attendance officer (Victoria Wright)• Exams officer (Janette Hare)

English in Year 10

WJEC Eduqas

Some things you should know…

• Most take both English Language and Literature

• Assessment is now 100% by external examination

• We address underachievement and encourage all students to fulfil their potential

• Parental support is vital• Grades 9-1• Targets given in terms of 9-1

AssessmentEnglish Language• End of Year 11 exams – 100%

– Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing – 1 hour 45 mins (40% of qualification)

– C19th and C20th Non –Fiction Reading and Transactional / Persuasive Writing – 2 hours (60% of qualification)

• Speaking and Listening assessments – assessed separately

English Literature• End of Year 11 exams – 100% (closed book)

– Shakespeare and Poetry – 2 hours (40% of qualification)– Post-1914 Prose or Drama, C19th Prose and Unseen

Poetry – 2 hours and 30 minutes (60% of qualification)

What we will cover in Year 10

• Studying a post-1914 drama text• Studying a C19th prose text• Exploring a range of poetry• Analysing extracts from non-fiction and fiction

texts• Imaginative writing• Transactional writing• An assessed speaking and listening activity• Reading and exploring a Shakespearean play

How you can help with English• Talk about progress and target grades, and ask what

they are working on in English

• Check homework is of a sufficient length (usually at least a side of A4)

• Ensure that they have proof-read written work carefully and corrected any spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors

• Buy copies of the set texts for your son/daughter so they can highlight key quotations and annotate them; this will really help with revision and exam preparation

• Read their set texts too so you can discuss what their texts are about, what the characters are like and what the key themes are etc.

How you can help with English• Make sure they attend catch-up or

extension sessions

• Remind them to use the College’s virtual learning platform when researching and revising

• Please, please encourage them to read at home, especially fiction books and newspapers

GCSE Maths

Studying Maths• All students do GCSE.

• Homework is set weekly

• There are two tiers of assessment:• Foundation giving GCSE grades 1-5

( approximately G to C/B)• Higher giving GCSE grades 4-9 ( approximately

D/C to A*)

Maths Sets• All students are put in sets using Key

Stage 3 assessments and year 9 tests

• There are 5 or 6 sets

• Setting is reviewed regularly and set changes happen after Key Assessment points

GCSE Tiers and Targets• We would expect :

• Sets 1 and 2: Higher Tier • Sets 3 and 4: Higher or Foundation Tier • Set 5: Foundation Tier

( Numbered “grades” apply from this year onwards in English and Maths)

GCSE Maths Assessments• GCSE Maths is assessed by 2 exams both at the end of

Year 11 June 2017

• Top set students who excel, will do a GCSE in Further Mathematics at the end of Year 11

• We use different exam boards depending on students ability and needs

We offer:• EDUQAS Higher to students likely to gain at least a B

grade• EDEXCEL Higher to students who are C/B borderline• EDUQAS Foundation to students who are working towards

a C grade

Homework• Pre-planned for the year, set weekly• Advanced notice• On Fronter and as a booklet• Teachers will check that homework is

completed and provide answers• Specific pieces of work will be

marked in greater detail

Resources to support learning and revision

• Test Analysis• Revision Guides and Work Books• Specimen and past paper booklets • Web Sites: • www.mymaths.co.uk (User: countesthorpe, Password:

triangle)

• BBC GCSE Bitesize

Resources to support learning and revision

• Drop-in sessions run twice a week throughout the year

• Every Tuesday and Thursday there are Maths specialists to help with homework / topics covered that week

Success depends on• Having the right equipment i.e. Scientific

calculator• Students practising until they get it right• At home, going over what they have done

in lessons• Revising systematically• Acting on feedback given by the teacher

Science GCSE

The Sciences in Year 10 & 11

• Double award Science lessons are shared by two teachers and split into Life and Physical Science lessons.

• 2 GCSE grades – Core (year 10) and Additional (year 11)Life Science

• Biology

• Chemistry (half)

Physical Science

• Physics

• Chemistry (half)

Six exams in Summer 2017

The Sciences in Year 10• In Triple Science students are taught by three

teachers – separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

• All exams are at the end of course in Year 11 – Triple Science 9 exams in summer 2017– Double Science 6 exam in summer 2017

• Long term memory tested. There can be close to 80% of marks from memory in a paper!

• Papers at Foundation and Higher levels.

Assessment• Assessed Investigative Skills Assessments

(ISAs) will take place during the two years

• Worth 25% and assessed by two written exam papers

• Regular Testing and Mocks

• Support Sessions during or after-school

Support• Key issue – retention of knowledge

from Years 10 and 11• Drip feed revision in lessons• Exam practice questions in lessons• Revision Guide – bring into class and

use with the teacher• Encourage independent study

Revision Guides

Support• Revision Guide • Learning Link (Fronter) has links to

other sites• Websites e.g. BBC Bitesize• Past Paper practise• Apps• Mentor• Interventions during or after-school

Religious StudiesGCSE

Course Outline

Y10– Medical Ethics– Religion & Science

Y11– Good & Evil– Relationships

Y10 OutlineMEDICAL ETHICS

• Abortion• Fertility treatment

• Euthanasia & Suicide• Animal testing

RELIGION & SCIENCE

• Origins of the world and life – Science vs.

Teachings • Attitudes to animals vs

Teachings• Environmental issues

– Secular vs Religious responses

Course Progress

• Progress will be assessed by:– Common Assessment Points– End of topic tests

• We will address underachievement• Parental support is vital to making

progress

Course Assessment

• External examination only -100% of final grade

• Examined on Year 10 and Year 11 work

• 2 exam papers • 1 hour long each

How You Can Help - Homework

• Homework will involve research– Ask your child what facts they have

discovered–What have they found interesting– Set them a challenge – say you would

like to know more about a particular topic or issue

How You Can Help – Tests, Revision

• End of Topic tests/exams require revision– Try to ensure your child is not simply reading

their existing notes– Advise them to make revision cards and

volunteer to help them memorise the information– Be a sounding board for them to explain an issue

to you– Ask for more than one point of view and/or

evidence/examples

MyChildAtSchool.com

MyChildAtSchool.com• Online way to share attendance,

behaviour and progress information to parents.

• The website is live and shows lesson by lesson attendance and punctuality.

• Through this password protected website we provide parents with reports.